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MAD MIKE – MAD INDEED

Mad Mike has always had a passion for all things extreme and fast, right from his first 3wheeled trike as a toddler he was never content with riding on the flat his mother Sue says he had to race down steep hills and over ramps!!

Mike raced motocross from the age of 6 and placed 2nd at the New Zealand 1997 Pro junior 85cc motocross champs. Preadolescence he also competed in BMX then eventually transitioned into the extreme sport of Freestyle Motocross to compete pro for 3yrs.
His 3 year stint had mixed results and many broken bones and concussions - earning his nick name 'Mad Mike'. He then made the switch to another form of motorsport which gave him that same rush of adrenaline but with the safety of a roll-cage and thus his DRIFTING career was born in 2007.

Now backed by some of the worlds biggest brands Red Bull, Mazda, Mobil1, Nitto, Rotiform, Holinger, KW suspension, Turbo by Garrett, Snap-On Tools, PWR Performance, & Wilwood to name a few. Mike competes in four pro drift spec Mazda rotary powered cars - all over the globe & every time he is behind the wheel and initiates his high speed drift he still experiences that same rush of adrenaline that keeps him hooked.

In early 2011 EA Games released - Need For Speed Shift Unleashed which features Mad Mike & his 2010 competition Mazda RX8.

Pushing the boundaries as an ambassador of the sport Mike has been privileged to take drifting around the world and be the first to drift at prestigious tracks and events. The list of countries is forever growing here are some to date: New Zealand, Australia, across United States of America, Canada, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Qatar, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Sweden & Norway.

Always a crowd favorite Mikes Mazda RX7 and RX8 have both been voted best looking drift cars worldwide through Speedhunters.com

With over 4.5 million views on you tube alone his ‘Conquer the Crown’ drift project was a huge success for both Nz Crown Range in Queenstown and drifting at large.

In 2012 Mike created and brought to life Red Bull Drift Shifters in downtown Auckland, New Zealand. The event is a world first with an electronically scored run, based from triggers and sensors on the track scoring drivers on proximity and successive triggering of sensors. Making what is known as High Octane Pin Ball.
The event was a hit and returned again to Auckland in 2014 bringing drivers from USA, JAPAN and Australia this time with Mike taking home top bragging rights. Stay tuned for more big news on Red Bull Drift Shifters!

Mike was also the first NZ Drift driver to receive an award from Motorsport New Zealand for Outstanding Achievement.

2015 saw the completion of the Mazda MX5 aptly dubbed ‘RADBUL’ which made it's debut outing in Formula Drift USA.

Feeding his creative desires Mad Mike also owns and operates a sign writing & graphic design company located in Auckland, NZ called CRE8GRAFX.